If nothing else, Chris Kaman’s return demonstrated his value to the Clippers, even though the big man had some rust.Kaman posted a -20 for the game, but the fact that the Clips were able to get back to size helped immensely: The battle on the boards was even between the Clips and the best defensive rebounding team in the association, and the Clips even won the offensive glass.And though Kaman still isn’t more than an average post defender – though he’s a super shot blocker and a pretty good help defender – his presence not only changes shot, but it takes a whole lotta pressure off backcourt and wing defenders who know longer have to worry that a penetrator who’s able to pierce the first line of defense won’t have such a direct route to the hole.

The 4th quarter collapse was disheartening and the Clips haven’t won a game in weeks, but I think we all need to arrive at a certain place, however pollyanna-ish it might be:

Let it be resolved that the 2007-2008 season isn’t a setback for the franchise.A pause button was pressed.Next season, the Clippers will feature a formidable 4-5 frontcourt presence; Cuttino Mobley will be the 4th, and possibly 5th offensive option – which isn’t a bad thing. Barring injuries, the bench should be more than adequate. And there’s been a notable ancillary benefit to the wretchedness this season: The development of one Al Thornton, a wing player who will undoubtedly be one of the better value players in the game over the next four seasons.

Woody Allen in Annie Hall said: “I feel that life is divided into the horrible and the miserable. That's the two categories…The horrible are like, I don't know, terminal cases, you know, and blind people, crippled. I don't know how they get through life. It's amazing to me. And the miserable is everyone else. So you should be thankful that you're miserable, because that's very lucky, to be miserable." The next month of basketball will be nothing more than miserable, but be grateful it won't be horrible.

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Comments

If EB comes back for the last few games of the season, you MUST either sit Maggette or Kaman... you cant risk winning a meaningless late season game and losing even one extra lottery ball. It's just not worth it.

That latest just demonstrates the ridiculous nature of 99 percent of ACD's posts. He wants to tank - we really do get that ACD. It's very important to ACD that the Clippers continue to lose every game so that they can have a 2.39 percent better chance at getting some player that none of use really knows much about over some other player that none of us really knows much about.

But, that is just typical ACD. The thing that really demonstrates the faulty mind of ACD is demand that Maggette, who he hates with all his Duke hating and other hating passions, sit so that the Clippers have no hope of winning. One would think that if Maggette sucks as much as ACD states and if his 20 per is as meaningless as ACD states (as if that Corey 20 could be magically redeemed on the same shots from any other NBA type player) then the Anti-Clipper should have no worries about the suckie Maggette playing.

Alas, the anti-clipper. He just can't get his dream starting five of Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Nate Robinson, Jamal Tinsley, and oh, that other guy on the Knicks.

BTW, what is it about Indiana and New York that they collect the low character types. Is there some common connection. Maybe ACD is really Issah Thomas posting from the Starbucks in Reseda.

Hahaha.... At least you guys have SOMETHING to say...it was starting to get boring.

I love maggette!

Seriously though, my heart was pounding last night watching the Clips get within 6 minutes of the upset. I really was hoping they'd win. But then the same shit happens again. It was a microcosm of the season (4-0 start and then getting punk'd).

Why should I get my hopes up this year? I really felt bad after they lost. Much worse than the games where they really dont put up much of a fight.

Kaman was a sight for sore eyes.

But truthfully guys-- you have to keep up with reality. NEXT year is what counts now-- I know Maggs puts up a nice 20 every game, but you aint winning championships with him as your 2nd best player. It's short sighted thinking that keeps this team mediocre.

I don't find the next month to be miserable. I'll make a few plays and look for some of the better games on the package. But if you mean watching the Clips specifically this next month, well...yeah, I guess that might be kinda miserable. The only thing that would really make me puke is if EB came back and hurt himself again for no good reason. But it's his body and I guess he knows so....
Looking foward to next year alrady as far as the Clips go and now setting my focus on that debackle of a baseball team I love called the Mets. If they repeat that September slide from last year, I may just give up for good.

Even if what the last post says is true, i.e., that there is some huge difference between the 10th pick and the 4th pick, and I would suggest that we have no way of knowing that, it doesn't follow that losing all the remaining games, or tanking if you will, correlates with getting that better pick. As I stated, the Clippers are firmly entrenched in the 6th spot and barring some unforseen and unlikely circumstances the Clippers are going to finish with the 6th worst record. The difference between 6th and 5th in terms of lottery chances is not worth worrying about matematically. Only losers intentionally lose games. It would be nice for the Clippers to win some for the real fans out there and not all the mathematically challenged folk calling for tanking.

well last year mike conley was 4th and spencer hawes was 10th...er...nevermind.

no actually hawes looks decent (i've been to about 5 games at arco this year cause of work) and you never know. he could be the next brad miller or maybe not. time will tell.he's certainly better than i thought he'd be so far.

They've been unintentionally tanking the entire season. Since the 4-0 start, the Clips have rattled off 17 wins in 67 tries. This is what having Dicakau/Knight in your backcourt and basically no PF the entire season, save the late semi emergence of josh powell.

Regarding the NBA lottery, last year I seem to recall both Boston and Memphis falling out of the top 3..meaning 2 teams from the pack moved into top 3 position.

The tanking sure didn't help Memphis and Boston in last year's lotto. Who knows, with Stern that could have been his way to penalize the tankers. It's all good though cause the Clips have their own built in unintentional tanking device in having MD coach the team.

So ya who knows how many of these guys are going pro etc but, there may be a dozen or possibly more quality players in this draft, and at this point a few more ping pong balls isn't the worst thing. It's not like the Clips have any control over the losing this year anyway.

Seeing EB back for a few games sounds great though, and playing spoiler is always a good time too.

Can't argue with any of that, TW. They sure don't need to intentionally tank. The Clips have no problem losing at will. I guess that is what has been so disappointing about this season is that even with all the injuries the team has woefully underperformed. I see a lot of guys just mailing it in and seeming not to care. Just like happened at the end of last year. But, having said all that, I again agree with you about the doom spelled by the point guard situation. Brevin Knight at this stage of his career is a nice 15 minute or so backup point guard. I guess my point is that without a top notch point guard I don't think the Clips are competitive even fully health and with Brand.

I just want to see them win some games here at the end with Brand, Kaman and Maggette and Thornton against playoff bound good teams to show that they are going to be good next year. In other words, to show that there is hope for being a Clipper fan. I really don't give a rip about picking 3 or 5 or even 8. I don't feel that there is anyone in the draft that is going to walk in and be some transformational player like Dr. J or Kareem or Magic or Jordan or LeBron even.

It's going to take any rookie time to contribute and if you look at the Clippers past history with really good draft picks you will see that more times than not having a very high pick did not translate into anything. Korelev anyone? This is a guy who wouldn't have even started on a top college team and yet the Clips took him like 6th or something.

So when I hear about tanking to have a couple of percent chance of moving up a little I don't get too excited. Don't forget Thornton was taken 13th last year. He was clearly the Clippers best pick ever as he essentially fell in their laps. They had no choice but to take him - they couldn't foul it up. But, never doubt that the Clippers given the opportunity will mess up with any high draft pick.

Please forgive my unreasonableness in wanting to see some victories over good teams with the basic core of the team that you are going to see next year.

Really? How do you figure? I don't see it. Livingston can't stay healthy, he'll get hurt again, Q. Ross is terrible and if they don't replace Maggette with someone else after he leaves, then our bench could be absolutely horrible next season.

let's not forget the clippers had no problem tanking a few games 2 seasons ago to get a better first round opponent in denver for the playoffs.

as far as tanking for a better draft pick, if we don't get a new coach, then our top draft pick won't even play much unless somebody gets hurt, because dunleavy likes to "slowly" work in his rookies (see Al Thorton who should have been playing minutes all season).

i hope we can get something for maggette via sign and trade (i'd love to resign him, but with dunleavy as coach i wouldn't want him to stay, i like him more than that), but look at Odom, we got nothing for him and eventually he got traded for Shaq and brought a championship to Miami.

About being secure in the 6th spot, i guess you don't look at the standings. NY is 1 loss back now and Timberwolves are 3 losses back 6-4 in their last 10. Clippers can get to 4, but putting Brand back in might provide some inspiration and motivation (something Dunleavy has been killing all season).

2 thoughts on brand playing, not related to the lottery pick at all.
1-he is back to his old self and may want to shine in case he opts out of his contract and show he is still an all-star (he aint opting out)
2- he'll want a contract extension and want to prove that he is back to old self and deserves a max contract extension.

his injury should not have meant sitting out the entire season, it wasn't that bad of an injury and he could've been playing a while, trust me. no reason to play him now and have the clippers win any of those games, then it might show that dunleavy's excuse of an injured team is a valid reason to keep him for another year.

and what's this dropping a williams and signing a williams crap we pulled off today?